Washing machine

ABSTRACT

A washing machine is disclosed. A washing machine includes a top cover at which an opening is formed, a lid hingedly coupled to the top cover, the lid opening and closing the opening, and a hinge member comprising a coupling part of a plate shape coupled to the lid and a hinge part of a cylinder shape hingedly coupled to the top cover, wherein a slot is provided at the hinge part. An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of improving a structure of a hinge member and to prevent damage of a top cover or lid which might be generated during the opening/closing of the top.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No.10-2008-0023438, filed on Mar. 13, 2008, which is hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates to a washing machine. More particularly,the present invention relates to a washing machine capable of improvinga structure of a hinge member rotatably coupling a lid to a top coverand preventing crack of the lid or top cover accordingly.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Washing machines are electric home appliances which removes variouscontaminants attached to clothes, cloth items, beddings (hereinafter,laundry), using both friction of water currents generated by rotation ofa pulsator and shock applied to laundry by the pulsator.

A conventional washing machine typically includes a cabinet, a top covercoupled to a top of the cabinet and a lid hingedly secured to the topcover to open and close an opening formed at the top cover.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a top cover 1, a lid10 and a hinge member 20 coupling the top cover 1 with the lid 10. FIG.2 is an enlarged view illustrating the hinge member 20.

In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 10 of the conventional washingmachine includes an insertion hole 11 and a coupling hole 12. Theinsertion hole 11 is formed at a side portion of the lid 10 and thehinge member 20 is inserted in the insertion hole 11. A coupling member15 passes through the coupling hole 12 for the hinge member 20 to becoupled to the lid 10 securely in a state of being inserted in theinsertion hole 11.

The hinge member 20 includes a coupling part 21 and a hinge part 25. Thecoupling part 21 is inserted in the insertion hole 11 to be coupledthereto. The hinge part 25 is provided at a predetermined portion of thecoupling part 21 and it rotates about the top cover 1.

The coupling part 21 is rectangular-plate-shaped and it is formed at aposition, corresponding to the coupling hole 12 formed at the lid 10when inserted in the insertion hole 11 of the lid 10. Here, the couplingpart 21 includes a through hole 22 through which the coupling member 15passes.

The hinge part 25 is cylinder-shaped for the lid 10 coupled thereto bythe coupling member 20 to rotate relatively with respect to the topcover 1.

The lid 10 is seated on the top cover 1 and a lid seating surface 2 isrecessed at the top cover 1 to a predetermined depth to seat the lid 10thereon. Here, the recessed depth of the lid seating surface 2 isidentical to the thickness of the lid 10 such that an upper surface ofthe top cover 1 may be formed smooth when the lid 10 is closed.

A user should lift the lid 10 to open the lid 10 and the lid 10 rotatesabout the hinge member 20.

However, if the user takes off his/her hands from the lid 10, the lid 10will fall a predetermined height. If the lid 10 falls only to be bumpedinto the top cover 1, the force corresponding to the weight of the lid10 is applied to the hinge member 20 and the force applied to the hingemember 20 is transmitted to the top cover 1.

When the user drops the lid 10 free to close, crack might be generatedat the lid or the top cover 1.

The reason why the crack is generated at the lid or top cover 1 is thatthe shock applied to the hinge member 20 is transmitted directly to thelid 10 or top cover 1 because the hinge member 20 is designed to improveonly strength.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a washing machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machinecapable of improving a structure of a hinge member and to prevent damageof a top cover or lid which might be generated during theopening/closing of the top.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may berealized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, awashing machine includes a top cover at which an opening is formed; alid hingedly coupled to the top cover, the lid opening and closing theopening; and a hinge member comprising a coupling part of a plate shapecoupled to the lid and a hinge part of a cylinder shape hingedly coupledto the top cover, wherein a slot is provided at the hinge part.

The slot may be substantially perpendicular to the coupling part.

The slot may be formed horizontally along a longitudinal direction ofthe hinge part.

A cut part may be provided at the hinge part, the cut part formed bycutting a portion of a circumferential surface of the hinge part.

The cut part may be formed by cutting the portion with a predeterminedlength from a border between the coupling part and the hinge part.

The length of the slot may be substantially three or four times of thelength between the slot and an end of the hinge part.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description of the present invention areexemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide furtherexplanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of thedisclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a lid and top coverof a conventional washing machine;

FIG. 2 is a plane view illustrating a hinge member hingedly coupling thelid with the top plate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a lid and a hinge member ofthe washing machine shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 a to 5 g are plane views illustrating hinge members ofexperimental groups 1 to 7, respectively; and

FIG. 6 is a table of shock values measured through experiments ofapplying shock to the top cover, lid and hinge member when the hingemembers of experimental groups 1 to 7.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a washingmachine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, a washing machine 100 provided with a hinge assemblyaccording to an exemplary embodiment includes a cabinet 110, a top cover120, a tub 130 and a leg 140. The cabinet 110 defines an exteriorappearance of the washing machine and various parts of the washingmachine 100 may be mounted in the cabinet 110. The top cover 120 isplaced on a top of the cabinet 110. The tub 130 is installed in thecabinet 110 and laundry to wash is received in the tub 130. The leg 140is attached to a lower surface of the cabinet 110 and it prevents thewashing from tumbling and maintains the washing machine to be leveled.

The top cover 120 includes an opening 121 and a control panel 122. Theopening 121 is formed at a center of the top cover and a user may loadthe laundry into the tub 130 through the opening 121. The control panel122 is provided on a predetermined portion of the top cover 120. At thecontrol panel 122 are provided a display part displaying an operationalstate of the washing machine and a button part for the user to input awashing condition. In addition, a detergent box 125 is provided at aninner rear surface of the top cover 120 to supply detergent or fabricsoftener to the laundry received in the tub 130 and the detergent box125 is connected with a water supply hose such that the detergentreceived in the detergent box 125 and water may be mixedly supplied tothe tub 140.

A lid 200 is hingedly coupled to a top of the top cover 120.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lid 200 includes glass 210 formed of transparentmaterial and a frame 220 having a seating surface where the glass 210 isseated. The transparent glass 210 allows the user to look into the tub130 conveniently. The glass 210 has a convex shape with a bulging centerportion and thus wash water dropped at an inner upper surface of the lid200 can flow along a rim thereof.

A lid seating part 123 is formed in the top cover 120 and the lidseating part 123 is recessed inward to a predetermined height for thelid 200 to be seated in. the height of the lid seating part 123 issubstantially identical to the height of the lid 200. As a result, whenthe lid 200 is seated in the lid seating part 123, an upper surface ofthe top cover 120 and an upper surface of the lid 200 are high to belevel.

Next, an operation of the washing machine according to the exemplaryembodiment of the present invention will be described.

The user turns on the washing machine 100 and lifts the lid 200 upwardto open the opening 121. Then, the user loads the laundry into the tub130 through the opening 121 and puts the lid 200 downward to close theopening 121. Hence, if the user inputs a corresponding washing conditionat the control panel 122 and pushes a start button, the washing machine100 is put into operation according to the input condition.

After washing and dry-spinning cycles, the user lifts the lid 200 againto open the opening 121 and unloads the washed laundry. Then, the userputs the lid 200 down again and closes the opening 121.

Next, in reference to FIG. 4 will be described a hinge member 300coupling the lid 200 to the top cover 120 for the lid 200 to open andclose the top cover 120 and the coupling structure between the lid 200and the hinge member 300.

The lid 200 includes an insertion hole 230 and a coupling hole 240 andboth are provided at a side portion of the lid 200. The hinge member 300is inserted in the insertion hole 230 and a coupling member 250 passesthrough the coupling hole 240 for the hinge member 300 being inserted inthe insertion hole 230 to be securely coupled with the lid 200.

The hinge member 300 includes a coupling part 310 and a hinge part 320.The coupling part 310 is inserted in the insertion hole 210 of the lid200 and the hinge part 320 rotates with respect to the top cover 120.

The coupling part 310 of the hinge member 100 is rectangular plateshaped. Because of that, if the lid 200 is rotated after the couplingpart 310 is inserted in the insertion hole 230, the hinge member 30 isrotated together with the lid 200.

A through hole 311 is provided at a portion of the coupling part 310which is corresponding to the coupling hole 240 formed at the lid 200and the coupling member 250 passes through the through hole 311.

The hinge part 320 is hinge securing part 127 formed at the top cover120 such that the lid 200 coupled to the hinge member 300 may be rotatedrelatively with respect to the top cover 120.

The user typically lets the hands holding the lid 200 off from the lid200. If then, the lid 200 is dropped a predetermined height and a shockcorresponding to the weight of the lid 200 is transmitted to the hingemember 300 and the shock transmitted to the hinge member 300 istransmitted to the lid 200 and the top cover 120.

The inventor has studied the hinge member 300 having a structure capableof minimizing damage of the lid 200 or the top cover 120 because of theshock generated when the user closes the lid 200. the inventor found outthat the conventional hinge member is fabricated only to improve thestrength and that the lid 200 or top cover 120 could damage because ofthe shock transmitted to the lid or the top cover 120 again after havingbeen transmitted to the hinge member 200, which is generated when thelid 200 collides against the top cover 120, accordingly.

The inventor has been studied the structure of the hinge member 300capable of minimizing the damage of the lid 200 or top cover 120,especially, has experimented various types of the hinge part 320 toincrease the elasticity of the hinge part 320.

In the experiment performed by the inventor, the conventional hingemember 20 shown in FIG. 2 will be categorized as a control group andseven different hinge members 300 having different shapes of hinge parts320 shown in FIGS. 5 a to 5 g will be categorized as experimental group.

When the hinge member 300 of each experimental group is used in thewashing machine 100, the shock applied to the lid 200, the top cover 120and the hinge member 300 is measured.

A specific method of the experiment will be explained.

The experimenter opens and closes the lid repeatedly to suppose that theuser opens and closes the lid 200. Here, the lid 200 in a state of beingopen is rotated and bumped against the top cover 120, which almostidentical to the case in that the user lets his/her hands off from thelid 200. To make experimental conditions identical, the experimenter ischanged every 100 times. After repeating the 100 times ofopening/closing the lid 200, average values of the shock applied to thelid 200, the top cover 120 and the hinge member 300 are calculated.

The inventor of the present invention performed the experiments,changing three elements to increase the elasticity of the hinge part320.

First, a slot 321 is provided at the hinge part 320 to increase theelasticity of the hinge part 320. The slot 321 is formed through thehinge part 320, substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by thecoupling part 310, and it is formed horizontally in a longitudinaldirection of the hinge part 320.

Second, a cut part 322 is provided at the hinge part 320 and apredetermined portion of the hinge part 320 is cut to increase theelasticity of the hinge part 320. The cut part 322 is substantiallyperpendicular to the plane formed by the coupling part 310. In addition,the cut part 322 is formed by cutting some portion from a border betweenthe coupling part 310 and the hinge part 320 to a predetermined length.

Third, the length of the hinge part 320 is increased to increase theelasticity of the hinge part 320. The length of the hinge part 25included in the control group is 11.5 mm and the length of the hingepart 320 included in the experimental group is 14.5 mm, which isincreased as much as 3 mm.

The seven experimental groups are fabricated, changing at least one ofthe three elements.

The experimental group 1 shown in FIG. 5 a includes the slot 321, notchanging the other elements.

The experimental group 2 shown in FIG. 5 b includes the cut part 322,not changing the other elements.

The experiments group 3 shown in FIG. 5 c includes both of the slot 321and the cut part 322 formed simultaneously, not changing the length ofthe control group.

The experiment group 4 shown in FIG. 5 d has the increased length.

The experiment group 5 shown in FIG. 5 e includes the slot 321,simultaneously with the increased length. Here, the length of the stop(A) is three or four times of the length from the slot 321 to an end ofthe hinge part 320.

The experiment group 6 shown in FIG. 5 f includes the cut part 320,simultaneously with the increased length.

The experiment group 7 shown in FIG. 5 g includes both of the slot 321and the cut part 322, with the increased length.

FIG. 6 shows the values of the shock transmitted to the top cover 120,the lid 200 and the hinge member 300, when each hinge member accordingto the control group and the experimental groups is applied to a washingmachine and when the lid 200 is dropped and collided against the topcover 120.

The shock transmitted to the lid 200 is reduced but the shocktransmitted to the top cover 120 is increased in the experiment group 1,compared with the control group.

The shock transmitted to the lid 200 is reduced but the shocktransmitted to the top cover 120 is increased in the experiment group 2,compared with the control group.

The shock transmitted to the lid 200 is reduced but the shocktransmitted to the top cover 120 is increased in the experiment group 3also, compared with the control group.

Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to thetop cover 120 are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group 4,compared with the control group.

Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to thetop cover 120 are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group 5,compared with the control group.

The shock transmitted to the lid 200 is reduced but the shocktransmitted to the top cover 120 is increased in the experimental group6, compared with the control group.

Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to thetop cover 120 are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group 7,compared with the control group.

In reference to the experimental groups 1 to 7, the experimental groups4, 5 and 7 are ones having the shock transmitted to the lid 200 and theshock transmitted to the top cover reduced simultaneously. Among thesethree groups, the experimental group 7 has the least shocks transmittedto the lid 200 and the top cover 120.

The inventor finds out that the hinge member 300 of the experimentalgroup 7 is the most proper one to reduce the shocks transmitted to thelid and the top cover 120.

That is, the length of the cylindrical hinge part 320 is increased 3 mmfrom 11.5 mm to 14.5 mm and both of the slot 321 and the cut part 322are formed at the hinge part 320.

As mentioned above, according to the washing machine 100 adapting thehinge member 300 of the present invention, the shock received by the lid200 and the top cove 120 may be reduced and damage of the lid 200 andthe top cover 120 may be prevented accordingly, even if the user dropsthe lid 200 to close the opening 121 of the top cover 120.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, itis intended that the present invention covers the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A washing machine comprising: a top cover at which an opening isformed; a lid hingedly coupled to the top cover, the lid opening andclosing the opening; and a hinge member comprising a coupling part of aplate shape coupled to the lid and a hinge part of a cylinder shapehingedly coupled to the top cover, wherein a slot is provided at thehinge part.
 2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the slot issubstantially perpendicular to the coupling part.
 3. The washing machineof claim 2, wherein the slot is formed horizontally along a longitudinaldirection of the hinge part.
 4. The washing machine of claim 1, whereina cut part is provided at the hinge part, the cut part formed by cuttinga portion of a circumferential surface of the hinge part.
 5. The washingmachine of claim 4, wherein the cut part is formed by cutting theportion with a predetermined length from a border between the couplingpart and the hinge part.
 6. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein thelength of the slot is substantially three or four times of the lengthbetween the slot and an end of the hinge part.